Rooibos/Red Bush/South Africa

From: €8.50

ROOIBOS/RED BUSH/SOUTH AFRIKA

ASPLATHUS LINEARIS

ROOIBOS

ROOIBOS “red bush” (Afrikaans) is a broom-like member of the legume family of plants growing in South Africa. The leaves are used to make a herbal tea called Rooibos or Bush Tea. The generic name comes from the plant Calicotome villosa, aspalathos in Greek. This plant has very similar growth and flowers to the Rooibos plant. The specific name linearis comes from the plant's linear growing structure and needle-like leaves.

The product has been popular in Southern Africa for generations. Generally, the leaves are oxidized often mistranslated as fermentation in common tea processing terminology …

Through the 17th and 18th centuries, European travellers and botanists visiting the Cederberg region of South Africa commented on the profusion of “good plants” for curative purposes. In 1772, Swedish naturalist Carl Thunberg noted that “the country people made tea” from the rooibos or redbush. Traditionally, the local people climbed the mountains and cut the fine needle-like leaves from wild rooibos plants. They then rolled the bunches of leaves into hessian bags and brought them down the steep slopes. The leaves were then chopped with axes and bruised with hammers before being left to dry in the sun.

PRODUCTION & PROCESSING

Rooibos is usually grown in Cederberg, a small area in the region of the Western Cape province of South Africa.

Generally, the leaves are oxidized, often mistranslated as fermentation in common tea processing terminology. This process produces the distinctive reddish-brown color of rooibos and enhances the flavor. Unoxidized “green” rooibos is also produced, but the more demanding production process for green rooibos (similar to the method by which green tea is produced) makes it more expensive than traditional rooibos. It carries a malty and slightly grassy flavour somewhat different from its red counterpart.

HEALTH BENEFITS

Rooibos is purported to assist with nervous tension, allergies and digestive problems. Rooibos tea has been shown to inhibit in vitro activity of xanthine oxidase, but an in vivo study has not been conducted. Xanthine oxidase (XO) plays a role in conversion of purine to uric acid in humans and reducing the activity of XO could limit uric acid production, which would aid in treatment of gout. In in vitro tests only, for the specific concentration tested, the infusion was shown to be less than half as effective as allopurinol, which is the drug typically prescribed to inhibit XO activity in treating gout.

Two flavonoids found in rooibos, quercetin and luteolin, have been known to have cancer fighting qualities. Rooibos does not contain the antioxidant Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) found in green tea.

Traditional medicinal uses of rooibos in South Africa include alleviating infantile colic, allergies, asthma and dermatological problems.

A polysaccharide from Aspalathus linearis shows anti-HIV activity and possible mechanism of action dealing with virus binding to T cells.

NUTITIONAL VALUES & CHEMICAL COMPOSITIONS

Rooibos is rich in ascorbic acid.

It is becoming more popular in Western countries, particularly among health-conscious consumers, due to its high level of antioxidants such as aspalathin and nothofagin, its lack of caffeine, and its low tannin levels compared to fully oxidized black tea or unoxidized green tea leaves. Rooibos also contains a number of other phenolic compounds, including flavanols, flavones, flavanones, and dihydrochalcones.

The processed leaves and stems contains hydroxylated benzoic and cinnamic acids (for instance 3,4,6-trihydroxycinnamic acid), luteolin, chrysoeriol, quercetin, isoquercitrin, the C–C linked β-d-glucopyranosides based on four flavones and the dihydrochalcones aspalathin and nothofagin.

Aspalathus linearis also produces polysaccharides.

DETAILS

Origion: Cederberg/Western Cape province of South Africa
Plant: Aspalthus linearis
Colour: red, rust red
Aroma: floral, bloomy, mild, full-bodied
Feature: is infused several times / Is never bitter – even if infused for a longer period.
Preparation: 3/4 tea spoons per pot
Temperature: 70-80ºC/158-176ºF / min. 2min 30sec

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DE-ÖKO-070
Nicht-
EU-Landwirtschaft

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SIZES: S: 65g / M: 175g / L: 600g

SHIPPING COSTS:

>2kg: 4,10€ Germany/8,90€ EU/15,90€ World (Zone-I)
>5kg: 6,99€ Germany/16,99€ EU(Zone-I)/29,99€ World(Zone-II)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bai_Mudan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cederberg

Foto:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cederberg#mediaviewer/File:San_Rock_Art_-_Cederberg.jpg